CONTENTS:- 1. Introduction. 2. Ethno-historical background. 3. Mal Paharia at home: villages under study. 4. Survival strategy: in the shadow of ritual, belief and practices. 5. Survival strategy: economic life. 6. Social life and kinship. 7. Survival strategy: use of traditional knowledge in health care practices. 8. Observation and conclusion.
DESCRIPTION
The present treatise is the outcome of intensive field investigation among the Mal Paharia, who is settled within the boundary of Damin-I-koh of Santal Pargana, Jharkhand. The life and culture of the Mal Paharia are nourished under the lap of nature where their strong belief system plays a key role. The concept of globalization means connectivity and increasing interdependence of world society into a single whole. With the advent of new world economy which is supported by advanced technology, competitions, flow of capital/money etc. along with fast changing social values, the socio-cultural life as well as traditional knowledge bank of the Mal Paharia - secluded tribal group are being affected and ultimately these hilly terrain tribal people will be in soup in the new emerging competitive social-cultural environmental which is manifested in their materialistic life through consumerism and individualism. NGO’s in this area play a very active role for sustainable development among the studied group. The global influence on the local culture has penetrated in their behaviour pattern and as a result their rich knowledge bank for ailment is eroding fast and much has been already lost with tenants of modernization and globalization where the rapid spread of foreign technology with money introduced from outside.
